Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a swimming meet kit containing items suited to help competitors identify the events, heats and lanes the are scheduled to compete in for a swimming meet. The items may include a body ink marker, a mark remover, and a swimming/bathing cap imprinted on an inside surface with swim competition words or abbreviations of those words, i.e., meet, event, heat and lane. Sufficient spacing is provided to the right of such words or abbreviations for the wearer of the cap to write in information with the body ink marker. A promotional display may also be used.
Discussion of Related Art
According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia:                A swim cap, swimming cap or bathing cap, is a silicone, latex or lycra cap worn on the head by recreational and competitive swimmers.        Caps are worn for various reasons. Some facilities require the wearing of swim caps, in order to protect filters from becoming clogged with loose hairs which fall from the scalp of swimmers who are not wearing a cap. Caps are also sometimes worn in an attempt to keep the hair relatively dry or free from chlorinated water, to keep the sun off of the hair, and also, when a cap is worn with ear plugs, in order to keep water out of the ears. Competitive swim caps are made of tightly fitted silicone, latex, or lycra that hugs the skull of its user, providing cover for his or her hair. This reduces drag in the water caused by loose hair. During longer swimming sessions, a swim cap keeps the head warm.        A swim cap, swimming cap or bathing cap, is a silicone, latex or lycra cap worn on the head by recreational and competitive swimmers.        Caps are worn for various reasons. Some facilities require the wearing of swim caps, in order to protect filters from becoming clogged with loose hairs which fall from the scalp of swimmers who are not wearing a cap. Caps are also sometimes worn in an attempt to keep the hair relatively dry or free from chlorinated water, to keep the sun off of the hair, and also, when a cap is worn with ear plugs, in order to keep water out of the ears. Competitive swim caps are made of tightly fitted silicone, latex, or lycra that hugs the skull of its user, providing cover for his or her hair. This reduces drag in the water caused by loose hair. During longer swimming sessions, a swim cap keeps the head warm.        The English “Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation” states that “one standard swim cap” may be used for official English Channel record swims. The cap must be approved by the official observer who accompanies the swimmer on the pilot boat across the channel. “Standard swim caps” used by English Channel swimmers of record over the years include solid rubber “tank” style swim caps, molded rubber swim caps with chin strap, bubble crepe rubber swim caps with chin strap, silicone swim caps and latex “racing” swim caps. Swim caps that have neoprene within the cap construction such as the “Barracuda Hothead” or are completely made of neoprene are not allowed for record English Channel swims. Several other long distance swims such as the Santa Catalina Channel California swim have similar rules for record swims.        
According to WiseGeek at www.wisegeek.com:                A swim cap is a silicone or latex head cover worn by recreational and competitive swimmers. Swim caps are also called bathing caps. Keeping the hair out of the face, protecting hair from chlorine or sea salt and reducing the loss of body heat are said to be some of the benefits of wearing a swim cap. Competitive swim caps are also designed to create less drag or resistance in the water.        Swim caps cover the entire head from the forehead to behind the ears to the nape of the neck. Both the silicone and latex types of swim cap are stretchy and made to adjust to different head sizes. Some swim caps even fit both children and adults. A swim cap is not usually recommended for children under age four. Many children's swim caps feature fun designs in bright colors.        Adult swim caps are also colorful and may feature graphic designs. Silicone caps are usually more vivid in color than latex styles. They also may be more comfortable and last longer than latex swim caps. Also, silicone is a more breathable fabric. A latex swim cap is often less expensive than the silicone variety and may be ideal for occasional use.        Both latex and silicone swim caps tend to tear easily from contact with items such as bobby pins or sharp fingernails. A swim cap may be easier to put on if the hair is wet. Many swim caps don't keep hair totally dry anyway as air pockets may be created in the cap during swimming. Shorter hair is usually easier to manage when wearing a swim cap, but longer hair may fit better in the cap if it is first twisted into a bun.        Women's designer swim caps may feature added embellishments such as flower petals made out of latex or silicone. A swim cap may or may not have a strap under the chin. Competitive swim caps may be printed in team colors and logos, but otherwise are as minimal as possible in design. Like swimsuits, swim caps should be rinsed in cold water after use and hung to dry. Damp swim caps are susceptible to mold and mildew, so a swim cap should always be completely dry before it is stored in a drawer or sports bag.        
According to Triathlete Sports at www.triathletesports.com:                Silicone caps were originally invented as an alternative cap for people with latex allergies but over time people began to appreciate silicone for other reason than allergies. There are three main reason why silicone is sometimes preferred over latex, it is longer lasting, non-allergy, and it doesn't pull your hair as much. Latex, on the other hand, is less expensive, doesn't slip off very easily, and is more popular among pro swimmers.        Steps & Tips For Putting A Swim Cap On        1. Hold it down by the sides and bend your head down. The caps are slightly oblong at the opening, hold it so it's longest diameter is running parallel with our head,        2. Start putting the cap on at the forehead and work it on down.        Swimmers with really long hair can pull their hair out to the rear and put their caps on half way. Then twist up the rest and tuck it up inside as evenly and as far up as you can.        If you put long hair into a bun it can be hard to get a swim cap to cover smoothly and tightly as the bun makes the cap stick out into a point, which can cause the sides of the cap to not seal well to keep water out.        You might try a wig cap liner. A wig cap liner looks like a fabric swim cap but is thinner. An old stocking cut off and tied off can make a cheap wig cap liner.        A bit of hair preparation goes a long way to help keep hair under your cap where it can be protected and not sticking outside your swimcap!        If your cap is sticky and drags, try rubbing some corn starch on the inside—it will make your caps so slick!        
When worn, the swimming cap has an outward facing side and an inward facing (that faces the wearer's head). The printing of a pattern onto the outward facing side of swimming caps is well known and custom printing is offered commercially. It is also well known to print different patterns onto both facing sides of the swimming cap to render the swimming cap “reversible”. If the swimming cap is reversible, the swimming cap may be worn with either of the two reversible faces of the swimming cap facing outward at any one time with the other reversible face facing inward (to face the wearer's head).
Body ink markers are conventional whose colorants are approved for cosmetic use, such as by the Color Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The ink is removed by rubbing the area of the skin marked with the marker with a wash cloth under running water or with a hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol. Body ink markers are commercialized by Take Your Mark Sports LLC. According to their instructions, when using the marker for the first time, the marker should be shaken well to mix the ink. The cap is then removed and the tip should be pressed upon to ensure even ink flow, which is visible as the ink fills the marker tip. It can take 1-2 minutes to fill the tip the first time. If necessary, the tip should be pressed 2-3 times to re-ink the marker. Such a press tip feature keeps the ink separate from the tip to render the marker usable even if the cap is left off. The ink will also come out of most clothes during the wash cycle of a washing machine.
Sealing techniques to seal plastic packages containing items is conventional. Some conventional sealing techniques that are effective include thermal welding, sonic welding, and press-to-seal strips that are reclosable such as ziploc.
The online encyclopedia Wikipedia discusses the dye-sublimation printing process on synthetic fabrics.                The dye-sublimation printing process is used to print on polyester or other synthetic fabrics. It is used for applications such as T-shirts, banners, table covers, id cards, sportswear and flags. The original printers were an electrostatic technology using toners but now are generally large format inkjet printers using specially formulated inks. The dye sublimation inks are a pigment suspended in a liquid solvent, like water. The images are initially printed on coated heat-resistant transfer paper as a reverse image of the final design, which is then transferred onto polyester fabric in a heat press operating at a temperature around 180 to 210 C (375 F). Under high temperature and pressure, the dye turns into a gas and permeates the fabric and then solidifies into its fibers. The fabric is permanently dyed so it can be washed without damaging the quality of the image.        Advantages of dye-sublimation over other methods of textile printing:        Images are permanent and do not peel or fade.        Dye does not build up on the fabric.        Colors can be extraordinarily brilliant due to the bonding of the dye to the transparent fibers of the synthetic fabric.        Truly continuous tones can be achieved that are equivalent to photographs, without the use special techniques such as half-screen printing.        The image can be printed all over the entire item, with no difficulty in printing all the way to the edges.        There are two types of dye sublimation inks available in the market. The most popular one is aqueous dye sublimation ink for use in both desktop and large format printers. The other one is solvent dye sublimation ink that can be used in XAAR, Spectra and Konica printhead wide format printers.        
USA Swimming publishes the following information at its website www.usaswimming.org:                As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education.        Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success.        USA Swimming is the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming. We administer competitive swimming in accordance with the Olympic & Amateur Sports Act. We provide programs and services for our members, supporters, affiliates and the interested public. We value these members of the swimming community, and the staff and volunteers who serve them. We are committed to excellence and the improvement of our sport. We are committed to providing a safe and positive environment for all members.        Listed below are some very in-depth guidelines geared to help you through your first couple of swim meets. It may seem a little overwhelming, but we tried to be as specific and as detailed as we possibly could. If you have any questions, please ask your coach.        
BEFORE THE MEET STARTS                Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins. This time will be listed in the meet information handed out to all swimmers and also in the team newsletter.        Upon arrival, find a place to put your swimmer's blankets, swim bags and/or sleeping bags. The team usually sits in one place together, so look for some familiar faces.        Find the check-in place. Usually, parents are not allowed on deck so this may be a responsibility of your swimmer or your swimmer's coach. Make sure your swimmer checks in with his or her coach! Check for special posted instructions in the check-in area.        Usually one will need to circle the swimmer's name or “#” before each swimmer's name, in each event he or she is swimming, that day. If this is not done, the swimmer will not be allowed to swim that event. Check-in is required so that the people running the meet know who is actually at the meet. After check-in, the meet administrators “seed” the swimmers into heats. Heat and lane assignments will be posted, so be sure your swimmer knows where to look!        Sometimes the meet is “pre-seeded” and no check-in is required. You and your swimmer can find heat and lane assignments by purchasing a program.        Once “checked in”, write or have the swimmers write each event-number on his or her hand in ink. This helps him/her remember what events he/she is swimming and what event number to listen or watch for.        Your swimmer now gets his/her cap and goggles and reports to the pool and/or coach for warm-up instructions. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team. A swimmer's body is just like a car on a cold day-he/she needs to get the engine going and warmed-up before he/she can go all out.        After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the area where his/her team is sitting and wait there until his first event is called. This is a good time to make sure he/she goes to the bathroom if necessary, gets a drink, or just gets settled in.        The meet will usually start about 10-15 minutes after warm-ups are over. According to USA Swimming rules (because of insurance purposes), parents are not allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. Similarly, all questions concerning meet results, an officiating call, or the conduct of a meet, should be referred to a coach. He or she in turn, will pursue the matter through the proper channels.        Psyche Sheet or Heat Sheets. A psyche sheet is usually available for sale in the lobby or concession area of the pool. It lists all swimmers in each event in order of “seed time”. When the team entry is sent in, each swimmer and his/her previous best time (up to the date that the entry was submitted) in that event is listed. If the swimmer is swimming an event for the first time, he/she will be entered as a “no-time” or “NT”. A “no-time” swimmer will most likely swim in one of the first heats of the event. A Heat sheet may be available close to the start of the meet that lists the actual heat and lane a swimmer will be competing in.        
MEET STARTS                It is important for any swimmer to know what event numbers he/she is swimming (again, why they should have the numbers on their hand). He/she may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to wait awhile.        Most meets are computerized. There are generally two ways a swimmer gets to his/her lane:        A swimmer usually reports directly to his/her lane for competition a number of heats before he/she actually swims. Check with your swimmer's coach for specific instructions.        In some novice meets, a swimmer's event number will be called, usually over the loudspeaker, and he/she will be asked to report to the “clerk of course” or “bullpen”. Swimmers should report with his/her cap and goggle. Generally, girls events are odd-numbered and boys events are even-numbered. Example: “Event #26, 10-Under Boys, 50 freestyle, report to Clerk of Course.” The “Clerk of Course” or “bullpen” area is usually where all swimmers checked in before the warm-up.        The clerk will usually line up all the swimmers and take them down to the pool in correct order. You can expect at least 4-8 heats of each event. The swimmer swims his or her race.        After each swim:        He/she is to ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) his/her time.        Depending on the coaches instructions, the swimmer may be asked to do some recovery swimming if a “warm down” pool or lanes are available. The swimmer should then go immediately to his or her coach. The coach will discuss the swim with each swimmer. Some coaches may wish to talk with the swimmer before her recovery swim.        
Generally, the coach follows these guidelines when discussing swims:                Positive comments or praise        Suggestions for improvement        Positive comments        Things you, as a parent, can do after each swim:        Tell him how great he did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke technique with him. You need to tell him how proud you are and what a great job he did.        Take him back to the team area and relax.        This is another good time to check out the bathrooms, get a drink or something light to eat.        The swimmer now waits until his next event is called and starts the procedure again. When a swimmer has completed all of her events she and her parents get to go home. Make sure, however, you, as a parent, check with the coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. It is not fair to other swimmers who may have stayed to swim on a relay where your swimmer is expect ed to be a member and she is not there.        Results are usually posted somewhere in the facility. Awards are often gathered for a team and given to the coach at the end of the meet. The coach will give the awards to the swimmers at a later time.        
The Badger Junior Team has always been a highly successful USS club, both in the Metropolitan area and nationally, consistently producing nationally ranked Top 10 swimmers as well as Top 10 relays. Badger junior swimmers have gone on to be State, Sectional and Regional Champions, World champions, NCAA and Olympic champions. Head Junior team Coach Kip Fierro, who is the inventor of the present patent application, has been active with Badger for forty years, first as an alumnus of John Collins and then as Badger Age Group Head Coach for over twenty-five years. He has been the Head Coach of the New Rochelle High School team for twelve years, was Head Coach at the New York Athletic Club for eighteen years and Head Coach at Coveleigh Club for three years.
As a result of his decades of swim meet experience and knowledge of the running of swim meets, the inventor has made some observations about swim meets that follow the USA Swimming guidelines.
Children competing in the swimming meet competition is primarily responsible to figure out which event he/she is competing in, which heats for each event he/she is competing in and which lane for each heat he/she is assigned to swim in. Generally, the information is unavailable until shortly before the swim meet starts, because the swimming heat data schedule for each event's heat and lane assignments is adjusted on the day of the competition to take into account no-shows, i.e, swimmers who were scheduled to compete in the swimming meet that day, but did not show up on time prior to commencement of the swimming meet.
Children competing in the swimming meet competition find it necessary to continuously ask their swimming coaches for help in identifying, from the swimming meet schedule, which event they are scheduled to compete in and their heat and lane number assignments. Although they may write the applicable heat and lane numbers on their bodies with a body ink marker, the children competing in the swimming meet competition still check the swimming heat data schedule and/or ask their swimming coaches to verify their heat and lane assignments for each scheduled event they are to compete in. While one might contend that such verification is unnecessary since they wrote the pertinent information on their bodies, the reality is that the children still do seek to verify event, heat and lane information from the posted swimming heat data schedule and from their swimming coaches. Perhaps the children in the competition simply do not trust their interpretation of what information they wrote on their bodies since they are the ones that are charged solely with interpreting what is written. Since multiple heat and lane assignments are involved in their writing and that needs to be correlated with the events they are scheduled to compete it, perhaps the manner in which the information is written on their bodies lends itself to multiple interpretations as to which event, heat and lane information is being identified by what they wrote.
Making a mistake as to the assigned heat and lane number for a scheduled event can have adverse consequences for the child in the swimming competition. For instance, if the child is at the wrong end of the swimming pool when his/her heat is called, the child misses the heat and may have no further recourse to be in the competition for that event. If the child is in a swimming lane assigned to a different child competitor who is late getting there, then the child become aware at the last moment about the mistake from the different child competitor and both children may undergo some stress as a result before competing due to the mix-up in lane assignments. If the child swims in the wrong lane, then the child may or may not be properly credited with having swum in the heat and the competition records may need to be corrected later thereby creating some stress on the meet officials as well the parents. Indeed, swimming coaches, parents and meet officials are under stress during swimming meets as a consequence of the practice of relying upon children to write event/heat/lane assignments on their bodies and to interpret the information written on their bodies so that the children be on time at the right event, right heat and right lane.
The present inventor believes there is a better way to help swimmers be informed as to what their events, heats and lanes are other than by relying upon children to mark their hands and arms with the correct information and relying upon them to interpret what they wrote down. The present inventor that such a better way would relieve stress for coaches, parents and meet officials as well as swimmers, because fewer swimmers would miss their races and would be on time to race in their assigned lanes in the heats for their events.